PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A Philadelphia city councilman says the city’s wild raccoon population is out of control, and he has introduced a bill that forces the Health Department to start catching them.

Councilman Darrell Clarke says that in parts of his district, next to crime, wild and possibly rabid raccoons are the top issue. And he says that at upwards of 35 pounds each, they’re out of control.

“Killing cats, pets, rummaging through debris, turning over people’s trash cans: seeing a family of raccoons walking down the street in an urban environment is just quite, quite scary,” Clarke told KYW Newsradio.

Clarke says that until 10 years ago, the city would catch raccoons reported by residents, but since then, the residents have been required to do the catching.

That would change under a bill he has introduced, which puts the responsibility squarely back in the hands of the Health Department.